Fentz even worked his way through his routine in a golden breastplate. That crimson piece of fabric on his sleeve? A likely playful nod to character Jamie Lannister’s missing hand.

Although the skater planned to tackle a quad in the program, he decided to go for a triple instead. It wasn’t his best footwork. But what’s a Game of Thrones story without a twist?

As far as mashups go, this one is about right. After all, some viewers watch the PyeongChang games much like they watch the HBO series: invigorated, addicted, and feeling vaguely terrified that their favorite major player will wipe out.

Given the passion for this show and the intensity on the ice, it was only appropriate that fans on the internet recapped the proceedings with much emotion.

And you better believe commentators Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir peppered in all the puns from the fantasy television series.

No one can wait for the show featuring epic dragon battles and a whispering man named Littlefinger to return, but at least fans have this wintry moment.

]]>FSKATING-OLY-2018-PYEONGCHANGHere’s What Yuzuru Hanyu Does With All Those Pooh Bears Everyone Throws on the Icehttp://time.com/5163875/what-does-yuzuru-hanyu-do-with-pooh-bears/
Fri, 16 Feb 2018 23:38:29 +0000http://time.com/?p=5163875

Every time Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu skates these days, he’s showered with Winnie the Pooh bears. His supporters have thrown the adorable bears onto the ice after eagle-eyed fans saw the reigning Olympic champion using a Pooh-themed tissue box cover at the rink. Hanyu is apparently a fan of the A. A. Milne character, and the superstitious skater sees him as a good luck mascot. There’s usually a Pooh sitting rinkside when he skates, and Hanyu will bow to or pat the bear’s head before competing. Although Olympic rules don’t allow mascots by the ice, rest assured there was probably a Pooh sitting by Hanyu’s locker backstage in PyeongChang.

And the tradition continues at the Olympic figure skating men’s event. His fans have a lot of bears to make up for — Hanyu injured his ankle last November and has not competed since then, so his appearance on Olympic ice for the first time in three months meant a lot of Pooh bears could finally find their home.

What does the reigning Olympic champion do with all the bears (and there are a LOT of them, as the poor Olympic sweepers can attest). Hanyu usually donates them — by the bagful — to local charities wherever he skates. Looks like there may be some new devotees of the cuddly Winnie the Pooh in Korea in coming weeks.

]]>PyeongChang 2018 Olympics: Figure Skating, Men's Short ProgramJamaica First Women’s Bobsled Team Lost Their Sled. A Beer Company Told Them to Put it on Their Tab.http://time.com/5163841/red-stripe-gives-jamaica-bobsled-olympics/
Fri, 16 Feb 2018 23:27:17 +0000http://time.com/?p=5163841

Red Stripe beer, which is brewed in Kingston, Jamaica, is stepping in to help the women’s Jamaican bobsled team, which was left without a coach or sled less than a week before Olympic competition.

The beer company, “would love to put the cost of a new bobsled on our ‘bar tab,'” senior marketing manager Andrew Anguin said in a statement.

The team accepted. “We are in possession of the sled, which is a gift from Red Stripe,” Jamaica Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (JBSF) spokesperson Kathleen Pulito told USA Today.

On Wednesday, driver coach Sandra Kiriasis left the team after an apparent issue with the Jamaican Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, which wanted to downgrade her to a “track and performance analyst,” according to a Facebook post from Kiriasis. Kiriasis is a 2006 gold medalist from Germany.

The first ever athlete from Ghana to compete in the skeleton event at the Winter Olympics finished in last place at Thursday’s event — but he came in first in onlookers’ hearts.

This was the day for someone at the Pyeongchang games to become Internet famous for dancing. And that someone was Akwasi Frimpong, who had the slowest time in skeleton. (For rookie viewers, skeleton is that fun-looking sport that sends humans sliding down the ice chins first and hearts open.)

Luckily, Frimpong’s last place status did nothing to dampen his spirits. When the athlete reached the finishing area, the never-more-proud competitor turned to the crowd and danced.

Sure Frimpong may not be the world’s fastest ice surfer, but he has an animated persona born for viral 2018 Winter Olympics videos. He reminds you that life is a joy, no matter how many people rocket ahead of you in the race for glory.

And this year’s Winter Olympics aren’t even his endgame. “I’m focused a lot on 2022 because my goal is to win a medal for Africa — and that would be a real big breakthrough,” Frimpong told Reuters.

Because the Internet will always amplify an Olympian’s most endearing antics, the video of his celebration has made the rounds through Twitter and Reddit where people are proud of him for his attitude and representing his nation.

This week, love was in the air as Paris Hilton made a doo-wop comeback to original music on a Valentine’s-themed single. And then there was Frank Ocean, gifting fans with a much subtler love song, also a throwback, in the form of a searching cover of “Moon River.” Haiti’s voices find a dance-ready platform in “Bayo.” L.A. rock project Lord Huron contemplates mortality — in a good way. And pop singer ROZES finds a good partner in DJ Nicky Romero’s beats.

]]>2014 Bonnaroo Arts And Music Festival - Day 3O.A.R. the Band Has a Lot of Feelings About OAR the Olympic Athletes Russianhttp://time.com/5163270/oar-the-band-olympic-russian-athletes-olympics-2018/
Fri, 16 Feb 2018 20:38:53 +0000http://time.com/?p=5163270

In an interview with Mashable, lead singer and guitarist Marc Roberge said that he and the band are taking the name similarity in stride and good humor.

“When the games started the phone calls started coming in, the emails, the texts — now to the point where every single morning I have a funny run-in with somebody about it,” he said. “It’s grown into this thing, but it’s hilarious, it’s awesome and I love it.”

Roberge also said that the band as a whole are sports fans and that because they also toured Russia in the past, they’re not salty about sharing a name with the Olympic athletes from Russia.

“As a group, we’re huge sports fans, we’ve always toured the country and visited a lot of different sports teams,” he said. “The Olympics is a huge event. I have memories my whole life watching with my family and now I do it in the mornings with my own kids…I’m trying to enjoy it, and we’re athletic by proxy now at this point.”

José Manuel Hernández Tallada is the sports commentator you want in your corner when you’re about to win big.

The Spanish journalist was filmed while commenting on the men’s snowboard cross finals in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Thursday, and his excitement over the close race — including the ultimate success of his Spanish countryman Regino Hernandez, who snagged the bronze — is something to behold. Tallada is all of us, urging our athletes on to greatness, certain that our support from afar can be felt even as they race across the snow a continent away.

After the thrilling finish, he continued emoting, standing up and jumping out of his chair for the entirety of the clip while spilling nonstop facts, including that Spain hadn’t won a medal in a Winter Olympics for 25 years and 361 days, to be precise. This also marks only the European nation’s third medal in all of Winter Olympic history. (In their defense, Spain is not known for its access to snow sports; this year’s delegation only includes 13 athletes.)

His lyrical approach to narrating the onscreen action included suggesting that his heart was in his mouth as the finish line neared. And, finally: “Lo ha conseguido!” which translates to “He’s done it.” Indeed, they both had. The response to Ruiz has been overwhelmingly positive, with Twitter comments applauding his unbridled passion. His level of excitement is something we can all aspire to emulate from the comforts of our own couches as the Games continue.

This winter, all eyes have been on the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang as the world’s top athletes compete for gold in skiing, snowboarding, figure skating and more. But although Adam Rippon and Chloe Kim may have won our hearts — and some hardware — in the events so far, there’s another major competition coming up that will be just as inspiring. The PyeongChang Paralympics are yet to happen, and they promise to deliver even more ice- and snow-filled drama in South Korea. Here’s your guide to everything Paralympics this year.

When are the PyeongChang paralympics?

The PyeongChang Paralympics will take place in South Korea in March, kicking off with an opening ceremony of their own on Friday, March 9 and running through Sunday, March 18 of this year, making use of many of the same facilities and mountain setups that have hosted the Olympics as well. This is the first time in 30 years that the Paralympics have taken place in South Korea, following Seoul’s hosting back in 1988. Like in the Olympics, the opening and closing ceremonies and snow sports will happen in PyeongChang, alpine skiing will go on in Jeongseon, and all ice sports head to the coastal city of Gangneung.

What is the official mascot of the 2018 Paralympics?

Paralympians will be represented by Bandabi, an Asiatic black bear, who is the official mascot of the 2018 Winter Paralympics. Mascots are a traditional part of all Olympic Games: this year’s mascot for the February events in PyeongChang is Soohorang the white tiger. Asian black bears are native to parts of the Himalayas, China, Korea, Russia, Japan and India, and are classified as a vulnerable species. They have distinctive markings: all black fur with a white patch on the chest and chin. Bandabi is “symbolic of strong will and courage,” according to the Paralympic site, with his name combining Korean-language references to the white markings on his chest and to the celebration of the Games themselves.

What are the Paralympic sports?

Ronald Martinez—Getty ImagesKeiichi Sato of Japan competes in the Men?s Cross Country 10km Free ? Standing on day nine of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games at Laura Cross-country Ski and Biathlon Center on March 16, 2014 in Sochi, Russia.

Six sports are played in the Paralympic Games: para alpine skiing, para biathlon, para cross-country skiing, para ice hockey, para snowboard and wheelchair curling. Events include all the usual suspects, from the many variations of downhill and slalom skiing to snowboard cross and more.

Which U.S. athletes will compete in the Paralympic Games?

The ones to watch this year are a team calling themselves the “Three Amigos.” Back in Sochi in 2014, Evan Strong, Mike Shea and Keith Gabel swept the snowboarding podium, taking home all three medals in a historic moment. In 2018, they’re hoping to repeat their Sochi success. On the women’s side, the names to know are Amy Purdy and Brenna Huckaby; Purdy was a medalist in 2014 and a longtime advocate for the sport, and Huckaby is a three-time world champion.

Sled hockey has also been dominated by the U.S. over the last decade, with the team taking gold in both 2010 and 2014. They’ll look to repeat once more in PyeongChang, and come stacked with a veteran Paralympic roster that includes three-time medalist Steve Cash, two-time medalist Nikko Landeros and gold medalist Declan Farmer, among many more.

And curling, a sport which has captured Olympic audiences already, becomes wheelchair curling for the Paralympics — with a strong set of U.S. contenders. Relative newcomers Kirk Black and Steve Emt have been having a strong season, and Paralympic veteran Penny Greely will make her third appearance in the Games.

How can I watch the Paralympics on TV?

Like with the Olympics, the Paralympics will be covered by NBC. They’ve already announced an unprecedented 94 hours of TV dedicated to the Paralympics, an increase over Sochi, with coverage of all six sporting events. Beyond TV, NBC will stream the Paralympics on NBCSports.com and their app. Scheduling details have yet to be announced.

Which country won the most medals in the 2016 Rio Paralympics?

In 2016’s Summer Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, China came out on top of the medal count, with 107 golds, 81 silvers and 51 bronzes. China was followed by Great Britain, the Ukraine, and the U.S. in fourth place, with 40 gold medals, 44 silver and 31 bronze. In Sochi’s Paralympics in 2014, there were fewer winter events so the medal tallies are, by default, lower. Russia dominated with 30 gold medals, 28 silvers and 22 bronzes, followed by Germany, Canada, and the Ukraine. The U.S. came in eighth place, with two gold medals.

For Taufatofua, the race was about camaraderie and friendship. He told NBC he would rather finish the race “toward the end of the pack with all my friends, than in the middle by myself.”

Taufatofua hopes to inspire other young Tongans to compete in the Winter Olympics, despite being a nation not necessarily known for its snow. His wish for future generations of Tongan Olympians is to “come and take it to the next level.” “You guys come and finish better than I finished,” he said.

Tonga's flag-bearer @pitaTofua crosses the finish line in the men's 15km free, second from last, but with a loud reception. His legacy: "I won't medal on Friday, but in four years someone from Tonga might, in eight years someone from the Pacific might."https://t.co/CmYhL3rZqjpic.twitter.com/UnUIdGtMsW

The Olympic Games in PyeongChang are Taufatofua’s second Olympics — he competed in the 2016 Olympics in Rio for taekwondo — but the doesn’t see an end in sight any time soon. He isn’t ruling out the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. As of now, he’s looking into “something to do with water.”

Madrazo, who picked up skiing in 2017, completed the strenuous course nearly 26 minutes behind Switzerland’s Dario Cologna—whose time of 33:43.9 earned him a historic third consecutive gold in the event—but that didn’t stop him from jubilantly waving his country’s flag as he came down the final straight.

A number of fellow warm-weather country skiers—including famed Tongan flag-bearer Pita Taufatofua and Colombia’s Sebastian Uprimny—joyously greeted Madrazo at the finish before hoisting him into the air, prompting an emotional reaction from viewers watching the scene.

“Love this Winter Olympics picture,” tweeted Telegraph reporter Ben Bloom. “26 minutes after the winner, Mexican cross country skier German Madrazo is welcomed by friends/rivals from Colombia, Tonga, Morocco and Portugal as he finishes. They came 111 / 113 / 114 / 115 / 116 (out of 116) and are absolutely buzzing.”

Mexican cross-country skier German Madrazo crossed the finish line last, but he was all smiles as he did it proudly carrying his nation's flag. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/8qILNmFjyE